The Wall Street King's Secret Vow

The man I saved from the gutter is currently telling the world I don't exist.

I watch him from the back of the crowded room. Sebastian stands at the podium, bathed in the flashing lights of a hundred cameras. He is sharp, untouchable, and radiating the kind of power that terrifies lesser men.

Its a stark contrast to the memory burning in my mind: the night I found him soaking wet in a deluge, defeated and penniless. I remember the feel of the rain on my skin when I shoved a ten-million-dollar check against his chest. I remember my desperate command: Win it all back, then come home and marry me.

He did win. He conquered Wall Street. But when a reporter asks about usabout the woman who funded his riseSebastians expression turns to ice.

Vivienne and I? He looks straight into the lens, but I feel his gaze slicing through me. That engagement ended five years ago.

Chapter 1

The day Sebastians empire crumbled, everyone expected me to walk away.

To them, I was just Vivienne, the spoiled princess who wouldnt survive a day without luxury.

But that night, the sky tore open. Rain slashed down in violent sheets. I didnt care. I tossed my umbrella aside and dragged a soaked, broken Sebastian into my car.

Ten million dollars. I shoved the check at him. Take it. If you win, come back and marry me. If you lose? Ill marry you anyway.

Five years later.

Sebastian returned. Not broken. Not defeated. He was a titan now, three massive IPOs. The new king of Wall Street.

And in front of every camera in the city, he delivered the final blow.

Vivienne and I? That engagement ended five years ago.

For five years, another woman had been by his side.

Chloe.

She was his shoulder when he was tired. His comfort when he failed. His applause when he won.

They were soulmates. Partners. A fairytale romance.

And the woman who gave him ten million dollars to rebuild his life?

I was just a joke. A stepping stone.

Thirty million. Sebastian slid a black card across the mahogany desk. Consider the debt paid.

He was different now. The boyish recklessness was gone, replaced by a cold, dangerous maturity. He radiated power.

Five years ago, that face had made me beg my fatherliterally on my kneesto save him.

And looking at him now? Even after the humiliation?

My pulse still spiked. A dark, twisted possessiveness clawed at my chest.

Pathetic.

I picked up the card, twirling it between my fingers before handing it to Darcy behind me. My face was a mask. Cold. Bored.

Check the limit, I said, my voice flat. I want every single cent.

Sebastian exhaled. A long, heavy breath, as if a weight had been lifted.

I studied my fresh manicure, not bothering to look at him. You think this clears the ledger, Sebastian?

He stiffened. His spine snapped straight, his expression solemn. Whatever you need, Vivienne. Name it. I owe you that much.

He paused. His gaze hardened.

Anything except marriage.

He sounded so noble. So principled.

I almost laughed.

Those emerald earrings you won at the auction yesterday, I said, finally meeting his gaze. I like them. Have them on my desk by morning.

The room went silent.

Everyone knew about those earrings. Hed spent a fortune on them. A gift for his fiance, Chloe.

Imagine the scandal if they ended up on my ears.

Sebastian hesitated. A flicker of conflict crossed his face.

I didn't wait. I stood up and walked toward the stairs, throwing the words over my shoulder. If your word means nothing, Sebastian, then forget I asked. Consider it a joke.

The next morning, the velvet box was on my vanity.

Darcy had left it there.

I opened it. The emeralds gleamed in the light, icy and perfect.

Gorgeous.

For the gala that night, I wore a vintage silk qipao. The emeralds dripped from my ears, a perfect, toxic match.

Sebastian arrived with Chloe on his arm. I stood alone.

The whispers started immediately. A low hum of gossip rippling through the ballroom. Why is the ex-fiance wearing the fiance's gift?

Chloe noticed. Of course she did.

She glided toward me, a practiced smile plastered on her face. Vivienne! Sebastian explained everything. The earrings they're a thank-you gift. For everything you did back then.

I took a sip of champagne, turning my back on her. I didn't have the energy for amateurs.

But she wouldn't let it go. She stepped closer, her voice dropping, dripping with mock pity. You have so much money, Vivienne. It's a shame you don't know how to love. Maybe that's why Sebastian chose me.

I stared into my glass. Half full. Not enough to numb the irritation.

My eyes landed on a slice of cake on the table.

Without a word, I grabbed it.

And slammed it directly into her smug little face.

Chapter 2

Ah!

The scream pierced the room. Heads turned. The music died.

Sebastian was there in a heartbeat. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the frosting from Chloes face with gentle, frantic strokes.

Then his eyes snapped to me. Cold. Furious. Why are you attacking my fiance, Vivienne?

I dropped the empty cake plate. It clattered against the marble floor. I dusted my hands, looking bored. She ruined my appetite.

Chloe buried her face in Sebastians chest, sobbing like a wounded animal. She clung to his lapels, trembling, the perfect picture of fragile innocence.

I I just wanted to tell her she choked out, her voice wet with tears. I don't mind that she took the earrings. If it makes her happy if it helps her let go Ill do anything.

A performance. An Oscar-worthy performance.

Shelby, my lifelong nemesis, stepped forward, arms crossed, practically vibrating with glee. Vivienne at it again, she sneered, loud enough for the back row to hear. Bullying everyone just because Daddy has money. Stealing what isn't hers. Classic.

The crowd murmured in agreement. Spoiled. Arrogant. Cruel. I could hear the labels being pinned to my skin.

I didn't flinch. My smile stayed glued in place, my gaze locked on Sebastians dark, unreadable eyes.

I dared him to say it.

A long silence stretched between us.

We're leaving, he finally muttered.

He wrapped a protective arm around Chloe and led her away, shielding her from the big bad wolf.

Watching them leave felt like swallowing glass.

Wed been engaged since we were eighteen. Back then, Sebastian was different. Confident, yes, but with a hidden shyness.

I used to tease him just to watch the blush creep up his neck. I loved flustering him. I loved him.

The day his family lost everything, that boy died. In his place stood a man made of steel and desperation.

I knew he would rise again. I just forgot that when a man rebuilds himself, he doesn't always keep the old blueprints. He didn't keep me.

Do I regret it?

Regret is for amateurs.

I can lift a man to the heavens, and I can drag him back down to hell.

From that night on, I became his shadow. His nightmare.

If Sebastian bid on a plot of land, I doubled the offer.

If he pitched for a project, I undercut him by half.

He wanted a war? He didn't have the ammunition. Compared to my familys vault, Sebastians new fortune was pocket change.

I ruled this city while he was still scraping together his first million.

Finally, he cracked.

He showed up at my office alone. No entourage. No Chloe.

He stood before my desk, spine straight, refusing to beg. This benefits no one, Vivienne, he said, his voice even. You're burning money just to spite me. Even your family's wealth has limits.

I raised an eyebrow. Lecturing me? Bold.

I glanced behind him at the empty doorway. Where's the fiance? I asked, examining my nails. Isn't she coming to apologize?

Sebastians lips pressed into a thin line. He bowed his head slightlya calculated, minimal gesture of respect. Im apologizing on her behalf for that night. But you threw the cake, Vivienne. You struck first. We both share the blame.

Blame?

I laughed. A short, sharp sound.

My only mistake, I said, leaning forward, was that I didn't hit her harder.

I smiled, sweet and venomous. Keep her away from me, Sebastian. Next time, it won't be cake. Itll be something that leaves a scar.

His expression darkened. The polite mask slipped. If you refuse to let this go, he said, his voice dropping an octave, then we have nothing to discuss. Ill see you on the battlefield.

I leaned back into my leather chair, crossing my legs, every inch the unbothered queen.

Good, I whispered. Don't be late.

Chapter 3

After leaving my office, Sebastian went on a networking blitz. He dialed every tycoon, every investor, every power player in the city.

He tried to build alliances.

I burned them down.

I snapped my fingers, and every door in the city slammed shut. In this city, you didnt cross Vivienne. And frankly, I wasn't the only one who wanted the Sebastian family to stay buried. Old money has long memories.

But I underestimated Chloe.

She wasnt just a pretty face; she was an influencer with millions of followers. She went on TikTok, tears streaming down her perfectly contoured cheeks.

She posted a video accusing me of running a monopoly, painting me as a corporate bully, a tyrant crushing their humble startup. She spun a sob story about their struggle, their love, their resilience against the big bad heiress.

The internet devoured it. I was the villain. They were the star-crossed lovers.

Darcy showed me the video. I laughed.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Sebastian. That video your fiance posted? You have two minutes to delete it.

She's telling the truth, Sebastian said, his voice defensive.

The truth? My tone dropped to absolute zero. Are you sure you want the whole truth out there, Sebastian? Do you really want to lose what little dignity you have left?

Silence on the other end. Heavy. suffocating.

I'll handle it, he finally said.

The line went dead.

Only a handful of elites knew I gave him that ten million. If the internet found out his self-made empire was funded by his ex-fiance? Hed be a laughingstock.

He was a businessman first. When it came down to profit versus his fiances feelings? Chloe didn't stand a chance.

Hunter.

We grew up together. The night I got engaged to Sebastian, Hunter got blackout drunk and hugged a stone lion statue outside my house, sobbing until dawn.

The day Sebastian went bankrupt? Hunter spent millions on a fireworks show that lit up the entire city.

It's not for you, hed claimed, grinning like an idiot. I just really, really hate that guy.

We were partners in crime. Toxic besties.

That night, Hunter dragged me to a club to unwind. His idea of unwinding involved booking a private VIP room and filling it with eight male models.

Eight.

All of them built like Greek gods. Abs you could grate cheese on.

A few drinks in, and I let go. I had a model on each arm, laughing, drinking, forgetting.

Then the door opened.

Through the haze of alcohol, I saw a face I hated.

Sebastian.

He stood in the doorway like a grim reaper in a suit.

Who invited the buzzkill? I slurred, glaring.

Hunter leaned over, tugging my skirt down from where it had ridden up my thigh. I did, he smirked, looking entirely too pleased with himself. We needed a waiter.

I blinked at him. What?

Hunter turned to Sebastian, snapping his fingers. Don't just stand there, man. Pour the drinks.

He leaned into my ear, whispering, He needs a favor from my dad. He can't say no.

Humiliating Sebastian to cheer me up? Classic Hunter.

I watched as Sebastian walked over. He didn't argue. He didn't fight.

He picked up a bottle of expensive whiskey and kneltkneltin front of me.

He filled my glass with amber liquid, his movements precise, disciplined. Restrained.

Adaptable. That was the word.

The club lights flashed across his facepurple, blue, red. He looked stoic. Empty. Like none of this touched him.

That arrogance. Even on his knees, he looked down on me.

Rage flared in my gut.

I moved my hand. Oops.

The glass tipped. Whiskey splashed all over his crisp, white dress shirt. The fabric turned translucent, clinging to his chest.

He flinched. Just a fraction. His brows drew together in a tight frown.

My bad, I said, voice dripping with fake apology. Pour another one.

His hand gripped the bottle neck.

Hard.

Veins corded along his forearm. His jaw muscle jumped, grinding teeth together.

He was furious. He was humiliated.

And he was holding it all back.

Chapter 4

I lifted the refilled glass. The whiskey burned my throat, sharp and mean.

I grabbed his soaked collar. Yanked.

He stumbled forward. Our faces were inches apart. I could feel the heat radiating off him, smell the mix of expensive scotch and his own distinct scent.

I leaned in.

He flinched. Turned his head away.

Rejected.

The anger flared, hot and instantaneous. I didn't think. I just reacted.

I spat the mouthful of whiskey directly into his face.

Liquid dripped from his jawline, sliding down his neck, soaking further into that ruined shirt.

The silence in the room was deafening.

I picked up a napkin, dabbed my lips with exaggerated elegance, and tossed the crumpled paper at him.

Oops. Slipped.

Sebastian stood up. Fast.

Smash.

He hurled the whiskey bottle at the floor. Glass exploded. Shards flew like shrapnel.

A stinging pain sliced across my calf. Blood welled up, bright red against my skin.

I paid you back, he growled, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. Humiliating me like this? It's too much, Vivienne.

Too much? I turned to Hunter. Is it?

Hunter shook his head, feigning shock. Too much? Please. Without her, you'd be begging for change under a bridge.

I looked back at Sebastian. Hear that? You don't just owe me money. You owe me everything.

I lifted my leg, propping it on the table. The blood was a steady trickle now, a crimson line running down to my ankle.

Lick it off.

The room gasped.

Or, I continued, voice low, Ill have you carried out of here in a body bag.

Ew, Hunter grimaced, wrinkling his nose. Vivienne, that's gross.

I shot him a look. Shut up. Saliva disinfects.

Sebastian turned to leave.

Hunters bodyguards blocked the door. A wall of muscle. He wasn't going anywhere.

Then, commotion outside. Shouting.

The door flew open.

Chloe.

She rushed in, throwing herself between Sebastian and the guards, arms spread wide like a martyr.

If you touch him, she shrieked, eyes wild, I swear I'll kill you!

I laughed. I couldn't help it. It was so dramatic. So scripted.

I walked up to her. Close.

I reached out, patting her cheek. Pat. Pat.

I went for a third.

Sebastians hand shot out. He caught my wrist in a vice grip. Vivienne. Enough.

His eyes were murderous. A warning.

I looked at Hunter. Am I being too much?

Nope, Hunter chirped. She stole your man. Fair game.

Exactly. I was the victim here.

I was the fiance. She was the mistress parading as the wife.

Don't forget, Sebastian, I hissed, leaning in. We're still engaged. You parading this woman around as your fiance? That's too much.

Sebastians gaze darkened. His grip on my wrist tightened, then released.

That engagement ended five years ago, he said, voice rasping.

He looked me dead in the eye.

You don't know, do you? Your father he helped destroy my family.

I froze